25g Of Protein At Breakfast Could Help You Lose Fat

Mornings can be rushed. This often means you only have time to grab something quick, which is often something high in carbohydrates and low in protein. This rushed breakfast is probably not filling, and around mid-morning your blood sugar and energy stores start to crash. What follows is usually 1 of 2 scenarios: 1. you grab something quick and convenient, which once again is not that filling – at least not for the amount of calories it has; 2. you go into lunch starving, which often leads to overeating.

Sound familiar?

The result of the 2 scenarios above: you consume more calories than you probably need, which can lead to fat gain over time.

How can you fix this? Try having 25g of protein with your breakfast. This will help you avoid that roller-coaster sugar and energy ride. Many studies have shown that eating a high-protein breakfast can help prevent weight gain – in particular body fat. There are a few reasons why:

1. Protein is the most satiating (feeling of fullness) macronutrient. Therefore if you eat more protein, you will feel more full for longer – and likely eat less.
2. Protein has a slower rate of digestion than carbohydrates. Having protein, especially with your carbohydrates, will help slow down the rate of digestion and therefore help manage blood sugar levels so you don’t get that mid-morning crash.
3. Protein helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you require to “exist,” as in laying in bed and doing nothing all day.

For these three reasons it should make sense how having protein at breakfast can help you manage your weight. If you’ve struggled with weight loss in the past, this is a fairly simple change you can make.

Below I’ve put together visuals of what 6 different breakfast options could be, each has at least 25g of protein. Links for the recipes are below the pictures.

1. Yogurt Granola and Berry Bowl
2. Protein Power Smoothie
3. Ham, Egg, and Cheese Avocado Toast
4. Overnight Protein and Fiber Oats
5. Homemade Ham Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
6. Black Bean Breakfast Burrito

Need more examples? Click here to download 10 Quick, Easy, Healthy, and High Protein Breakfast Ideas.

I’ve also added this list of protein sources to give you an idea of other ways that you add more protein to your breakfast:

• 7 oz Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat (0% M.F.) = 20 grams
• ½ cup cottage cheese, low-fat = 14 grams
• 2 oz turkey sausage = 14 grams
• 2 large eggs = 13 grams
• 1 cup milk, nonfat = 8 grams
• 1 cup quinoa = 8 grams
• ½ cup black beans = 8 grams
• 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter = 8 grams
• 1 oz cheddar cheese = 6 grams
• 1 whole-wheat English muffin = 6 grams
• 1 oz smoked salmon = 5 grams
• ½ cup oats = 5 grams
• 1 slice whole-wheat bread = 3 grams

Hopefully the above gave you an understanding of why you want more protein in the morning, and provided you with many examples.

Till next time,

-Mike